Aja Fenn on the value of committing to our teachers, the significance of the yin-yang symbol to tango, how performance culture has evolved since she started, her philosophy on social dancing, and what's inspiring her 24 years into her tango journey.

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: "Duo de Amor" written by Astor Piazzolla, performed by Tango Bardo | Image Credit: Maurice Kaplan

Show Notes

• Learn more about Aja's current activities through Fabrica Tango's website or by perusing her YouTube channel, then watch Aja perform with Fabrica co-founder Masha Abapolnikova (in Philly, as mentioned in the episode).

Read a transcript of Aja's episode here.

Singer. Producer. DJ. Argentine woman on a mission. Camila Arriva is working in multiple ways to bring women's voices to modern tango. (And yes, she also dances.)

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: "Cantando" by Mercedes Simone; short clips of "Soñando," by Paquita Bernardo with lyrics by Eugenio Cárdenas, and “Ni una Menos” by Verónica Bellini, all performed by Camila Arriva Grupo as part of their MUJERES project | Image Credit: Facu Suárez

Show Notes

• To learn more about Camila and MUJERES, visit her website at http://camilaarriva.com.

Read a transcript of Camila's episode here.

"Listen with your bodies, listen with your feet, listen with your heart. Listen with every cell of your body. Listen with your spirit." ~Tango Stories: Musical Secrets

Michael Lavocah danced tango for 20 years before writing his first book. He hasn't stopped since...

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Adiós, Pueblo,” written by Agustín Bardi and performed by Orquesta Típica Ricardo Tanturi, courtesy of Crackling Tunes; and "Tierrita," also written by Agustín Bardi with lyrics by Jesús Fernández Blanco and performed by Alfredo Gobbi y su Orquesta Típica with Héctor Maciel | Image Credit: Veronika Korchak

• Show Notes 
  

Read a transcript of Michael's episode here.

What does environmental psychology have to do with tango? Quite a lot, it turns out. Tango DJ, teacher, organizer, and social dancer Avik Basu lays it out for us.

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Sin Palabras” by Mariano Mores, with lyrics by Enrique Santos Discépolo and performed by Aníbal Troilo y Su Orquesta Típica with Alberto Marino | Image Credit: Steven Thull

Show Notes

• Learn more about Avik's work and play in tango and environmental psychology, then learn more about the Inner Experience of Tango survey. (Bonus: listen to Avik on Joe's Tango Podcast!)

Read a transcript of Avik's episode here.

"When I was twenty, this was NOT possible..."

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Ilusión de Mi Vida” by Feliciano Brunelli, arranged and recorded by Asato-Pais Duo | Image Credit: Oscar Chang Photography

Show Notes

• The music in Sol's episode is a contemporary interpretation by Asato Pais Duo of "Ilusión de Mi Vida." (Read Spanish? Here's some history about the song.) Asato Pais were among the artists gracing the Garufa TangoFest stage. Learn more about them on their website, where you can also find their social channels, including the adorable and incredibly informative music education videos they post on YouTube!

Read a transcript of Sol's episode here.

“...so many people in this world, within their own cultural frames, are not able to do everything with their body they could do. And that's a pity.”

Austrian dancer and academic Arno Plass shares what he's learned while talking and dancing his way around Europe and South America for a PhD project on the transformative power of queer tango. 

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Flor de Montserrat,” composed by Juan Santini with lyrics by Vicente Planells del Campo and arranged and recorded by Sexteto Cristal with Guillermo Rozenthuler | Image Credit: Martín Pérez

Show Notes

• Watch Arno's "Una Tanda Queer Con..." series and visit his website to learn more about his work. 

Read a transcript of Arno's episode here.

Yolanda Romero Hume gives new meaning to the aphorism YOLO (a.k.a. carpe diem). Find out how she makes the most of every day - in her local DC tango community and around the world.

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “El Adiós” composed by Maruja Pacheco Huergo with lyrics by Virgilio San Clemente and arranged and recorded by Sexteto Cristal with Guillermo Rozenthuler | Image Credit: Unknown

Show Notes

• Watch a mini-tour of the tango studio in Yolanda's house, featuring paintings by another epic DC-area tanguera - Viviana Levinson.

Read a transcript of Yolanda's episode here.

South Korean honorary New Yorker London Hong thought he was too old to become a professional dancer. Then he fell in love with tango.

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Yunta de Oro” composed by Osvaldo Ruggiero and performed and recorded by Tango Bardo | Image Credit: Irina Novak

Show Notes

• Watch the Forever Tango performance featuring Carlos Gavito and Marcela Durán that first inspired London’s tango obsession.

Read a transcript of London's episode here.

"The tango dancing is going to happen, and you don't need to push that hard."

Aníbal Dominguez was on the verge of quitting tango when he discovered contact improv. Since then, dancing has only gotten better...

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “En un Bondi Color Humo” performed by Daniel Melingo with lyrics by Luis Alposta | Image Credit: Alejandro Persichetti

Show Notes

• Listen to the radio station Aníbal grew up with, Radio Clarín.

Read a transcript of Aníbal's episode here.

When Ayano Yoneda moved from her native Japan to San Francisco for a job in finance, she never imagined that a chance encounter with a Halloween "Cinderella's ball" would change her life forever...

Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Ninguna” written by Raúl Fernández Siro with lyrics by Homero Manzi and performed by Angel D'Agostino y Su Orquesta Típica with Angel Vargas; and “Amarras,” written by Carlos Marchisio with lyrics by Carmelo Santiago and performed by Alberto Castillo y su Orquesta Típica | Image Credit: Mido Kwon

Show Notes

• Learn more about the Tango Poetry Project and watch past lectures on their YouTube channel.

Read a transcript of Ayano's episode here.